RFA Argus Dresses for Falmouth Week

Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Argus has been playing a colorful role in the launch of Henri Lloyd Falmouth Week 2013, after being officially dressed in bunting for the ten days of the festival.

RFA Argus is currently docked in Falmouth for works to be completed by A&P Falmouth, as part of the company’s cluster contract with the Ministry of Defense.

Visitors to Falmouth Week, which began on Friday, August 9 and continues until Sunday, August 18, have the rare opportunity to see RFA Argus dressed overall with bunting from end to end, in honor of the festival.

Dressing a ship overall with bunting is only done in harbor to celebrate special occasions like regattas, rallies, national festivals and the Queen’s birthday.

The dressing of a vessel is carried out using the International Code of Signal Flags, and the sequencing of the flags used is not as random as it may at first seem.

The Admiralty has constructed a carefully arranged sequence for all dressings to follow, starting from the bow to the stern via the mast head, which is guaranteed not to spell any offensive words in any language.

Andrew Gudgeon QGM, Commanding Officer of RFA Argus said, “RFA Argus has become a well-recognized sight in recent years, having undergone a five-month program of works earlier this year, and being used for the filming of Brad Pitt’s zombie movie World War Z here in 2011. As her latest visit, for final checks before deployment, coincided with Falmouth Week it seemed fitting that she should be dressed overall for the occasion – a spectacular sight for anyone who visits during the regatta.”